saw sharpening
D Kerr
A couple of questions:
1. I have a Sandvik toolbox saw (like a tenon saw but without
blade stiffener) which I bought about 5 years ago. It has
hardened teeth but no longer cuts very well - assume is blunt.
I presume that it cannot be re-sharpened ? I know that there
are plenty of similar saws in DIY sheds for less than 5GBP
but how long will these last? My Sandvik wasn't cheap (around
10GBP when I bought it) and I'm reluctant to throw it away.
2. I also have two very well made saws (1 tenon and 1 panel)
given to me years ago by my father which I'd like to have
sharpened and set. I remember that he used to take them to the
local ironmongers who'd send them away for a couple of days
to be done. With the demise of the highstreet toolshops,
is there nowhere these days that sharpens and sets saws?
Are we expected to treat saws as disposable by modern
manufacturers? Or is the job so easy to do yourself, nobody
advertises a sharpening service any more?
Any comments or guidance would be very gratefully received.
I live in the East Midlands (near Nottingham) and I wonder
if any local companies offer a saw sharpening service at a
realistic cost?
TIA,
ps: the Sandvik saw has a blue-black discolouration along the
teeth - I thus assume they are hardened.
David Kerr
Kevin Poole
>
>
> is there nowhere these days that sharpens and sets saws?
>
> if any local companies offer a saw sharpening service at a
> realistic cost?
>
Eaton (next to Do-it-All) 0115 9722757 for sharpening TCT circular saw
blades. Last time they charged 6.69gbp to sharpen and tension a buckled
30-tooth 10 inch blade.
They seem to sharpen most tools, so it might be worth talking to them.
I have inherited a saw set and an Eclipse jig, but cannot claim great
proficiency. A hard-point saw can be sharpened with an ordinary file,
though it does blunt the file fairly rapidly. I must try with my little
diamond-coated sharpening thingy sometime.
--
-------------------------------------------------------
Kevin Poole
Clock Repairer Tel: 01332 872450
-------------------------------------------------------
Ed Sirett
>A couple of questions:
>
>1. I have a Sandvik toolbox saw (like a tenon saw but without
>blade stiffener) which I bought about 5 years ago. It has
>hardened teeth but no longer cuts very well - assume is blunt.
>I presume that it cannot be re-sharpened ? I know that there
>are plenty of similar saws in DIY sheds for less than 5GBP
>but how long will these last? My Sandvik wasn't cheap (around
>10GBP when I bought it) and I'm reluctant to throw it away.
>
can't think what though.
>2. I also have two very well made saws (1 tenon and 1 panel)
>given to me years ago by my father which I'd like to have
>sharpened and set. I remember that he used to take them to the
>local ironmongers who'd send them away for a couple of days
>to be done. With the demise of the highstreet toolshops,
>is there nowhere these days that sharpens and sets saws?
>Are we expected to treat saws as disposable by modern
>manufacturers? Or is the job so easy to do yourself, nobody
>advertises a sharpening service any more?
>
You'll need to follow the instruction that are in many d-i-y books, you'll
need to by a couple of files and a saw set. which will set you back the same
as several hardpoint saws. It also take time perhaps about 30mins to hour
for each saw.
If you value your time you might want to think differently.
>
>ps: the Sandvik saw has a blue-black discolouration along the
>teeth - I thus assume they are hardened.
Yes, they last five times longer than traditional saw but are not
resharpenable (at least with ordinary tools).
Ed Sirett
Property Maintainer
Matt the Rat
>
>A couple of questions:
>
>1. I have a Sandvik toolbox saw (like a tenon saw but without
>blade stiffener) which I bought about 5 years ago. It has
>hardened teeth but no longer cuts very well - assume is blunt.
>I presume that it cannot be re-sharpened ? I know that there
>are plenty of similar saws in DIY sheds for less than 5GBP
>but how long will these last
Surprisingly long IME. At a fiver for a sharp saw which certainly does all
the jobs I want it to, I just bin them when they get blunt. By the time I've
spent a not inconsiderable sum on what ever I'd need to sharpen it and made
a hash of a couple of saws, it just doesn't seem worth the effort.
rto...@oanet.com
>
>A couple of questions:
>
>1. I have a Sandvik toolbox saw (like a tenon saw but without
>blade stiffener) which I bought about 5 years ago. It has
>hardened teeth but no longer cuts very well - assume is blunt.
>I presume that it cannot be re-sharpened ? I know that there
>are plenty of similar saws in DIY sheds for less than 5GBP
>but how long will these last? My Sandvik wasn't cheap (around
>10GBP when I bought it) and I'm reluctant to throw it away.
>
>2. I also have two very well made saws (1 tenon and 1 panel)
>given to me years ago by my father which I'd like to have
>sharpened and set. I remember that he used to take them to the
>local ironmongers who'd send them away for a couple of days
>to be done. With the demise of the highstreet toolshops,
>is there nowhere these days that sharpens and sets saws?
>Are we expected to treat saws as disposable by modern
>manufacturers? Or is the job so easy to do yourself, nobody
>advertises a sharpening service any more?
>
>the Sandvik saw has a blue-black discolouration along the
>teeth - I thus assume they are hardened.
>
>David Kerr
>
First the Sandvik saw. It can only be sharpened if you soften the
teeth first and then re-harden them afterwards. Possible but not
easy. You need to heat the teeth to over red heat and let them cool
naturally. Then do the re-sharpening in the usual way before
re-hardening. The teeth have to be heated to yellow heat and quenched
very rapidly in water. The trick is to get the whole edge yellow hot
before dunking. Then give the area just above the teeth a fine
sanding with emery paper and reheat the teeth gently until the shiny
steel just turns brown - not blue - and dunk it rapidly in water and
swish it about. That will re-temper the teeth to remove the
brittleness that they would otherwise have if not tempered.
The other normal saws can be sharpened with a triangular file as
follows. First get a file with a fine cut and with sharp corners.
Some triangulars have rounded corners that don't get down into the
teeth properly. Now set the saw in a vice so that the teeth are held
firmly. You will be filing every other tooth on the first pass, since
they alternate from one side to the other in set. Concentrate on the
cutting edge of the tooth, not the trailing edge, and note carefully
how the existing chamfer has been cut on it. Use a magnifying glass
if necessary. Set the file on the tooth at the same angle as the
existing chamfer and give it a couple of cuts. Repeat this on every
other tooth along the length. Reverse the saw in the vice and do the
same on the other teeth in the complementary direction. Use the
magnifying glass again to set up the right angle.
If the teeth are very badly worn, the teeth will need setting again
after filing. This is best done with a pair of saw set pliers but can
be done with a pair of pointed nose pliers if all else fails, or even
with a hammer and pin punch - but very risky. The saw must be
sharpened first so that each tooth has a sharp point on it again.
Tony Polson
>First the Sandvik saw. It can only be sharpened if you soften the
>teeth first and then re-harden them afterwards. Possible but not
>easy. You need to heat the teeth to over red heat and let them cool
>naturally. Then do the re-sharpening in the usual way before
>re-hardening. The teeth have to be heated to yellow heat and quenched
>very rapidly in water. The trick is to get the whole edge yellow hot
>before dunking. Then give the area just above the teeth a fine
>sanding with emery paper and reheat the teeth gently until the shiny
>steel just turns brown - not blue - and dunk it rapidly in water and
>swish it about. That will re-temper the teeth to remove the
>brittleness that they would otherwise have if not tempered.
>
>The other normal saws can be sharpened with a triangular file as
>follows.
<SNIP!>
Phew! What a rigmarole! Depending on your skills, and on how much
value you put on your time, it must surely be better value for most of
us to replace the blade rather than sharpen it.
Nevertheless, it was very good of you (Mr Totman?) to post this
detailed advice.
--
Regards, Tony Polson
North Yorkshire, UK
Ian M. Stewart
>
>A couple of questions:
>
>1. I have a Sandvik toolbox saw (like a tenon saw but without
>blade stiffener) which I bought about 5 years ago. It has
>hardened teeth but no longer cuts very well - assume is blunt.
>I presume that it cannot be re-sharpened ?
No, I don't think it can be re-sharpened. I recently sought out
and bought a non-hardened saw for that very reason. Now I'm not
quite so broke and it needs sharpening I'm sorry I did :-(
>2. I also have two very well made saws (1 tenon and 1 panel)
>given to me years ago by my father which I'd like to have
>sharpened and set.
Yes, you can do it yourself. I have a 13 point tenon saw of my
father's with brass back and tapered cast blade. It's a
beautiful tool to use and I reserve it for special jobs, but I
have to sharpen it myself. My local ironmonger no longer offers
the saw sharpening service either :-(
I reccomend you get a good book on the subject and have a read of
the method before you decide whether to have a go. The larger
the teeth the easier it is, and also the less blunt/abused the
saw is the easier. If you decide to try, you will need to buy
the pliers type saw set. There are some cheap far east import
types about which are perfectly adequate for the job (Black
Spur??) You will find that the markings are open to
interpretation anyway, and set the saw to your own preference.
Buy a new three square file (triangular!) and save it just for
the saws - size appropriate to the saw you are sharpening. Any
old flat file will do if the teeth need leveling - but don't try
sharpening one that bad on your first attempt. Probably the next
most important tool is the home made clamp for the saw blade, and
adequate light and time.
Good luck
--
--
Ian <IMS>
Traffic engineering : Order out of chaos....
i...@wavenet.co.uk
andy the pugh
>Surprisingly long IME. At a fiver for a sharp saw which certainly does all
>the jobs I want it to, I just bin them when they get blunt. By the time I've
>spent a not inconsiderable sum on what ever I'd need to sharpen it and made
>a hash of a couple of saws, it just doesn't seem worth the effort.
Except that hardpoint saws are generally nasty whippy things with
uncomfortable handles.
However, sharpening saws is terribly dull and paying someone to do it is
likely to cost more than a new hardpoint, so no-one bothers so all the saw
sharpeners have starved to death. A modern day tragedy.
Andy Wade
> However, sharpening saws is terribly dull and paying someone to do it
is
> likely to cost more than a new hardpoint, so no-one bothers so all the
saw
> sharpeners have starved to death. A modern day tragedy.
Or fantasy. There are still plenty of 'saw doctors' in business - about
8 in the local YP 'under saw sharpening services' at a quick count,
including one with an advert specifically mentioning DIY. There are loads
of small woodworking firms, joiners, cabinet makers, fitted kitchen
builders, etc. all busily blunting saws, circular saw blades, router and
moulder cutters, planer knives, etc. Most firms like this will have a
regular contract with a local sharpening specialist. It is probably true
that sharpening services are not so accessible in the High Street as they
used to be, but I'm sure that with a bit of 'phoning round you could find
someone to sharpen well nigh anything.
--
Andy
Alistair McDonald
>
> 1. I have a Sandvik toolbox saw (like a tenon saw but without
> blade stiffener) which I bought about 5 years ago. It has
> hardened teeth but no longer cuts very well - assume is blunt.
> are plenty of similar saws in DIY sheds for less than 5GBP
> but how long will these last? My Sandvik wasn't cheap (around
> 10GBP when I bought it) and I'm reluctant to throw it away.
My dad's mate is a joiner; he just treats saws as disposable items and
throws them away once they are done. Think of how much he can earn in
the time it would take to re-set and sharpen a saw!
--
Ally | Please do not duplicate usenet follow-ups by email.
| Check my address for Anti-Spam measures.
Robin G Sharman
McDonald) wrote:
<snip>
>Think of how much he can earn in
>the time it would take to re-set and sharpen a saw!
And that is surely the very point </pun> of DIY - i.e. that time is
not necessarily the essential ingredient - for me at least, the
essence of DIM is the sheer pleasure of being able to stand back and
say *I did that, without any help, entirely on my own*. I spent a
whole afternoon a couple of years ago restting and sharpening all my
saws. It wasn't the most enriching experience, but when I'd finished
I had nine saws as good as new (if not better) and they really did cut
well. OK, so I could have spent the 3 or four hours earning, but by
the same argument, I could spend every evening earning. The fact is
though, I like doing things that I like doing, especially when I can
feel pleased with the result :-)
Robin G Sharman
Graeme Eldred
<rob...@mcmail.com> writes
done, and even with the most tedious everyday decorating jobs such as
painting window frames, I have to say that I do a more thorough job than
the 'professionals' I have employed in the past - but it takes me at
least four times as long :-)
--
Graeme - with one foot in the past.
('68 Traveller, Hornby Dublo toy trains & Victorian semi)
Graeme Eldred
<grae...@hilloldridge.demon.co.uk> writes
<snip>
>Yes, I'll second that. There is a certain amount of pride in a job well
>done, and even with the most tedious everyday decorating jobs such as
>painting window frames, I have to say that I do a more thorough job than
>the 'professionals' I have employed in the past - but it takes me at
>least four times as long :-)
>
I only meant my window frame painting is comprehensive - not all the
jobs I attempt ! ...and there are certainly some jobs I'm not brave
enough even to try :-(
Bruce
wrote:
>On Mon, 5 Oct 1998 07:51:52 +0100, allym_...@usa.net (Alistair
>McDonald) wrote:
>
><snip>
>>Think of how much he can earn in
>>the time it would take to re-set and sharpen a saw!
>
>And that is surely the very point </pun> of DIY - i.e. that time is
>not necessarily the essential ingredient - for me at least, the
>essence of DIM is the sheer pleasure of being able to stand back and
>say *I did that, without any help, entirely on my own*. I spent a
>whole afternoon a couple of years ago restting and sharpening all my
>saws. It wasn't the most enriching experience, but when I'd finished
>I had nine saws as good as new (if not better) and they really did cut
>well. OK, so I could have spent the 3 or four hours earning, but by
>the same argument, I could spend every evening earning. The fact is
>though, I like doing things that I like doing, especially when I can
>feel pleased with the result :-)
>
>Robin G Sharman
Well Said!
I hate today's throw-away culture; it's one reason why the planet's
going down the toilet!
"Re-use and Re-cycle!"
Paul Mc Cann
grae...@hilloldridge.demon.co.uk says...
Surely this is the reason a lot of us DIY. (We can, and do, do it
better).
--
Paul Mc Cann